Morning Message Text: 1 John 1 – 2: 2
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4 We write this to make our joy complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
1 John 2:2
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Morning Message:
Easter is over. What do we have to look forward to now? Spring is here, summer is coming, and with it comes new possibilities. It’s kind of human nature to look for the next exciting thing in our lives. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, vacations, weekends, anything to break-up the monotony of everyday life. If you think about it, we live our lives from occasion to occasion, from celebration to celebration, always seeking and searching for whatever joy we can find in this life. What are you looking forward to today?
It is so difficult for Christians living in today’s society which moves so quickly, to remember to slow down and walk with Jesus. We do our best during the season of Lent to be disciplined in our faith, but all too often our disciplines go out the window along with our diets at Easter dinner. And let’s face it, I mean, if you are anything like me, once the diet is pushed aside for a day, it’s very hard to return to it. We forget about the diet until the warm weather comes and we wonder why the swim trunks no longer fit.
It is the same process with our Lenten disciplines. Now I am giving you all credit for having Lenten disciplines; I really have no idea, but I will, for the sake of this sermon, assume the best. Easter Monday comes and we are relieved. “I made it through another Lenten season and kept my discipline. Watch out world, I’m free and released from my promise. Here I come.”
The apostle John lived to be an old man. As an old man who had followed Jesus from his youth, John called on the believers of his day to return to a simple, intimate, day-by-day, moment-by-moment walk with Jesus. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another”. In other words: Just walk with Jesus all day long. Wow! How boring, right? We can’t do that! We are much too busy to walk so slowly, to appreciate each step, to enjoy each moment. How will I possibly accomplish all of my plans and take care of all of my needs and make sure I have every opportunity to find joy in this life? People today, even Christians, are so over stimulated, and we have become addicted to busyness. In John’s day, as well as today, even in our church work, the tendency is to get involved with the complexities of church responsibilities, Bible-reading programs, spiritual gifts inventories, and books that offer seven keys to this and ten steps to that. Unfortunately, too much attention to these good things may prevent us from focusing on what really matters, Jesus Christ.
John says that he is writing to make our joy complete. If we look closely, in this passage, he warns about three things that will keep Christians from experiencing the full benefits of their birthright in Christ. John says, we forfeit our joy when we…
1. Deny the power of sin (1:5-7). We often claim one thing by our words, but are condemned by our lives. Thankfully, walking in fellowship with Christ results in being continually cleansed from sin. When we are cleansed from the guilt and stain of sin, we have fullness of joy in the Lord.
Too often we don’t give the devil his due. Don’t get me wrong, “He that is in you is more powerful than he that is in the world.” But that doesn’t mean that sin is not a powerful force to be reckoned with. Satan designs and focuses his attacks on an individual basis. That place where you are the weakest and most likely to succumb is where he will attack. The good news is: sin in a Christians life, only has as much power as you give it.
2. We forfeit our joy when we: Deny the presence of sin (1: 8,9). The cure for sinfulness is not denying our sin but relying on the faithfulness of God to forgive us on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross. To confess our sin and remain in fellowship with God is the way to maintain the joy of salvation.
The first thing that we always have to remind ourselves of as
Christians is the fact that we are still sinful, imperfect human beings. We are saved, but sin is still very present in our lives, and we are still capable of falling short. I have repeated this to you so many times over the course of my ministry: Confession in the life of a Christian needs to be continual, at least daily. God is faithful and forgives our sins every time we ask, but we need to ask.
3. We forfeit our joy when we: Deny the practice of sin (1: 10 – 2:2). The person who denies that they have, in fact, sinned, is quick to label their actions as anything but sin. Unfortunately, to take such a stance costs both the joy of forgiveness and restoration with the Father.
This happens to us when we get out of the practice of at least daily confession. The longer you allow your actions to stand unchecked, the more likely you are to continue in that sinful practice and deny that it is sin. This is easy for us to spot if we really want to. I call this, political Christianity. I’m sure that someone else has used this terminology before, but if not, then I am taking credit for it. Why do I call this political Christianity? Because, like politicians, we want things both ways. Do you know how to tell if a politician is lying? Their lips are moving. Not only that, but when they lie, and it becomes obvious, they don’t confess, they double down and try to make you believe that the lie is, in fact, the truth. That’s what happens to us when we practice sin. At first, we see it, and we know it’s wrong, but we find that we kind of like it, so we excuse it and move on. Then we repeat it, and before long it becomes easier and becomes a practice.
If you lose your joy in the Christian life, examine these three points. Chances are, you will find the reason that your joy has been short-circuited. Then simply reconnect with the source of all joy, and your spirit will be restored. How do you reconnect? Do you know? On your knees in confession. John says: Let me make it simple. Walk with Jesus. Cling to your faith. Stay in the light. When you sin, confess and move on. And show your love for Jesus by loving your brothers and sisters in His name. Let me just add this. Stop living for the next event and start living for Jesus day-by-day, moment-by-moment. We waste so much time pursuing joy instead of focusing on the source of all joy.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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